Method of attaching cord to soap



Dec. 5, 1939. D. HOKERK METHOD OF ATTACHING CORD T0 SOAP Filed Aug 6,1938 3% I if Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,182.298 METHODoruncalled ooan 'ro soar Lyude .D. Hokerk, Utica, N. Y., assignor toKerk I Guild, Inc., Wliltesboro, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication August 6,

8 Claims.

The invention relates to a method of attaching cord to soap.

The object oi the present invention is to provide an improved method ofattaching suspension cords to soap in the form of a ball or cakeornamented or unornamented, and adapted to prevent the cracking of theball or cake incident to compressing a dry untreated cord within thesoap. A further object of the invention is to provide a method ofattaching cord to soap including a step of treating cord of fibrousmaterial with a liquid adapted to fill the space between the fibers andpenetrate the cells of the fibers and cause the cord to swell andsolidify or harden to a maximum size so that when the treated portion ofthe cord is compressed or otherwise embedded in a cake or ball of soap,it will not swell orexpand therein and cause a cracking of the soap andinjuriously afiect the completed article.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method oi attaching cordto soap adapted to fill the space between the fibers of a fibrous cordwith a soap solution adapted to cause the cordto swell and solidify andharden with the soap of the solution within it so that when the treatedportion of the cord is embedded, molded or other- Wise inserted in aball or cake of soap, all of the material within the soap with theexception of the cord, will be composed entirely of soap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method adapted to enablea cord to be securely attached to a soap body whether the portion of thecord inserted in the soap body be substantially straight or be expandedby knotting or 35 bound with a small cord adapted to form a slight bulgeexteriorly of the cord for anchoring the same more securely within thesoap body.

In the drawing: Figured is a longitudinal sectional view of a 40 soapball having a cord attached to it in accordance with the method of thepresent invention, the cord being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a detail view of a soap suspension cord having straightends.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the soap suspension cord having itsends tied with a small cord.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a soap suspension cord having the endsknotted.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a soap plodder bar showingthe same before being die pressed and illustrating the arrangement ofthe ends of the cord in the central opening of the plodder bar.

55 Figure 6 is an end elevation of the same.

1938, SerialNo. 223,495

Referring to the drawing, I designates a soap 4 ball having the ends 2of the cord 3 embedded therein. The cord 3 which may be made of anysuitable fibrous material, such as cotton, silk, rayon, and similarmaterial, is bent in the form 5 of a loop with its ends contiguous toeach other, and it may have the said ends 2 straight, as illustrated inFig. 2 of the drawing, or the ends may be tied with a small cord 4forming a slight bulge,

as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, to anchor 10 the ends of thecord more securely within the soap body 5. Also as illustrated in Fig. 4of the drawing, the ends of the cord may be knotted as shown at 5, toform an enlargement for anchoring the ends of the cord within the soapbody, 5 but any other form of enlargement may, of course,

be employed, as will be readily understood.

While the soap body is in the form of a ball, as illustrated in Fig. 1of the drawing, it may be of any other desired form or shape and may be90 ornamented or unornamented, and it initially consists of a soapplodder bar 6 of substantially cylindrical i'orm having a centrallongitudinal opening 7, circular in cross section, as clearlyillustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing. The 25 ends of the cord areinserted in the opening I of the plodder bar preferably about two-thirdsthe length of the opening, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing, andthe plodder bar after the ends of the cord have been treated, ashereinafter 30 explained, and inserted in the opening, is arrangedwithin a die and is die pressed around the cord to the desired shape orform and also to firmly secure the cord within the soap body.

The end portions of the cord which are to be inserted in the opening ofthe soap plodder bar, are impregnated with a suitable liquid for fillingthe space between the fibers of the cord and for impregnating the cordand the fibers for causing the cord to swell to a maximum size and tosubstantially the size the ends will have when inserted in the soapbody. This will prevent the cord after being inserted in the soap bodyfrom swelling and cracking or otherwise injuriously aiiecting thecompleted article as would be the case were the cord embedded in thesoap body in a dry untreated condition.

The ends of the cord may-be impregnated with any suitable liquid orsolution adapted to penetrate the fibers and cause the ends of the cordto swell to a maximum size and solidify or harden substantially at suchsize when removed from such a liquid or solution after being immersedtherein. A hot solution oi ordinary cocoanut or palm oil soap compoundwith the proper amount 56 of water may be successively andadvantageously employed for impregnating the ends of the cord and forcausing the same to swell and harden or solidify at a maximum size. Itis preferable to be within the range of 160 F. to 250 F. and

ordinarily an immersion of approximately one minute will be suflicientfor'impregnating the ends of the cord and for causing the cordto swellto a maximum degree. After removal of the cord from the solution thecard should be given at least twenty-four hours in which to harden andsolidify and after the ends have hardened and solidified it ispreferable to use the cord within the next two or three days. Cordsafter such treatment, may be left two or three days without any dangerof impairment of the treated process of the cord.

Soap solutions containing alcohol and other chemicals, which will causequick penetration and expansion of the cord before the solutionsolidifies have proven very satisfactory but the most satisfactory andcheapest solution is a solution composed of 15% soap and 85% water at atem-- perature between 160 F. and 250 F., but the proportion of soap andwatermay, of course, be varied to suit the particular fibrous materialof which the cord is made.

While the elapsed time between impregnating the cord and actual pressingof the soap arpund the treated ends of. the cord has been stated to bepreferably not more than two or three days, cords may be usable over alonger period depend ing on conditions such as humidity of the air andextent to which the soap impregnation dries out. The treated ends of thecord are not suitable or desirable if they become too dry and twentyiourhours has been found to be the best length of time for use aftertreatment with the impregnated solution.

Glycerine-and water in varying proportions in conjunction with varioussoap solutions may be employed. If glycerine is used it has been foundthat only enough glycerine is necessary to prevent the soap mixture andsolution from overdrying. By properly timing the period between theimpregnation of the cord and the pressing of the impregnated cord intothe soap, glycerine and penetration of the cord it has been found thatthe addition of from A% to 1% of some of the wetting compounds isbeneficial and possibly desirable. This wetting compound is morebeneficial on some cords than others, namely, cotton,

rayon. silk, etc. Most of these compounds which may or may not be usedin the proportions designated are sulfonated alcohols and are sold undersuch trade names as 'U'ltrawet made by The Atlantic Refining Company orAerosol MA manufactured by The American Cyanamical Company. Any suitableliquid or solution. adapted to impregnate fibrous cord and fill thespace between the fibers and cause the cord to swell and solidify.

and increase diameter, fall within the purview of the present inventionand may be used in lieu of those specifically described herein, but itis believed that a soap solution leaving only soap within the fibers-ofthe cord is the cheapest and most satisfactory. solution.

The suspension cord or loop 3 may be of sufficient size to be passedover the head of a person and slipped around the neck of the user sothat the cake or ball of soap will hang freely at the "front within theconvenient reach of either hand whether theuser is standing or bendingover, as shown, described and claimed in Patent No. 2,099,484, grantedto me November 16, 1937, and in Design patent, Des. 106,976, granted tome November 16, 1937. The suspension loop, however, may be smaller andoii-a size to enable the ball or cake of soap to be suspended by theloop from the wrist of the-user. Also it will be clear that the cord maybe attached to the soap for anv other desired use of the latter.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of attaching cord to soap which .comprises the step ofimpregnating a cord of fibrous material with a liquid and causing thecord to swell and expand to a diameter greater than that of theuntreated portion ofthe cord and filling the space between the fibers,solidifying and hardening the material filling the spaces between thefibres while the cord is in an expanded condition and therebypermanently maintain the increased diameter of the treated portion ofthe cord, and compressingaa soap body around the treated diametricallyenlarged cord by embedding the cord therein, whereby the cord isprevented from swelling or expanding within the soap body and crackingor otherwise injuring the same.

2. The method of attaching cord to soap which comprises the step ofimpregnating a cord of fibrous material with a liquid and causing thecord to swell and expand to a diameter greater than that of theuntreated portion of the cord and filling the space between the fibers,solidifying and hardening the material filling the spaces between thecords while the cord is in an expanded condition and thereby permanentlymaintain the increased diameter of the treated portion of the cord,inserting the treated diametrically enlarged portion of the cord withinan opening within a soap body, and compressing the soap body around thecord and simultaneously shaping the soap body to the desired form.

3. The method of attaching cord to soap, which comprises the step ofimpregnating a portion of a cord of fibrous material with a soapsolution and causing the treated portion of the cord to swell and expandto a diameter greater than that of the untreated portion of the cord andfilling the space between the fibers of the cord with the soap solution,solidifying and hardening the impregnated material within the treateddiametrically enlarged portion of the cord while the cord is in aswollen or expanded condition and thereby permanently maintain theincreased diameter of the treated portion of the cord, inserting thetreated portion of .the cord within an opening in a soap body, andcompressing the soap body around the cord to embed the cord within thesoap body and firmly attach the cord to the soap body. I

' 4. The method of attaching cord to soap which comprises the steps ofimpregnating a cord with a solution of soap and water and causing thecord to swell and expand to a diameter greater than that of theuntreated portion of the cord and filling the spaces between the fibersof the cord with the soap solution and maintaining permanently theincreased diameter of the treated portion of the cord, solidifying andhardening the soap solution, inserting the treated and diametricallyenlarged portion of the cord within an opening in a soap body, andcompressing the soap body around the cord to embed the cord within thesoap body and firmly attach the cord to the soap body;

5. The method of attaching cord to soap which comprises the steps oftreating a portion of a cord of fibrous material with the soap solutionheated to a temperature between 160 F. to 250 F. and expanding thetreated portion of the cord to a greater diameter than that of theuntreated portion of the cord, solidifying and hardening the impregnatedsoap solution within the dia- 5 metrically enlarged portion of the cordat a temperature of approximately 140 F. and permanently maintaining theincreased diameter or the treated portion of the cord, inserting thetreated portion of the cord within an opening in a soap body, andcompressing the soap body around the cord to embed the cord in the soapbody and firmly attach the cord to the soap body.

6. The method of attaching cord to soap which comprises the steps ofbending a cord of fibrous material into loop formation with theterminals of the cord contiguous to each other, impregnating the ends ofthe cord with a liquid to cause the ends of' the cord to swell andexpand to a greater diameter than the untreated portions of the cord andfill the space between the fibers, solidifying and hardening the liquidwithin the ends of the cord and permanently maintaining the increaseddiameter or the treated portions of the cord, inserting the ends 01' thecord within an opening in a soap body, and compressing the soap bodyaround the ends of the cord to embed the cord ends within the body andsecurely attach the cord to the body.

7. The method of attaching cord to soap which includes the steps ofbending a cord 0! fibrous material into loop formation with the endscontiguous to each other and providing an enlargement on the exterior ofthe. said ends, impregnating the ends of the cord with the liquid tocause the cord to swell and expand to a greater diameter than theuntreated portion of the cord and fill the space between the fibers ofthe cord, hardening the impregnated material within the ends of the cordwhile the cord is in a swollen or expanded condition and therebypermanently maintaining the increased diameter of the treated portionsof the cord, inserting the treated ends of the cord within an opening ina soap body and compressing the soap body around the ends of the cord toembed the cord within the soap body and securely attach the cord to thesoap body.

8. The method of attaching cord to soap which comprises the steps ofimpregnating a cord of fibrous material with a soap solution containingwater and alcohol and expanding the treated portion of the cord to agreater diameter than that of the untreated portion of the cord,solidifying and hardening the impregnated material within the cord whilethe same is in a swollen or expanded condition and thereby permanentlymaintaining the increased diameter of the treated portion of the cord,inserting the treated portion of the cord in an opening in a soap body,and compressing the soap body around the cord to embed the cord withinthe soap body and securely attach the cord to the soap body.

LYNDE D. HOKERK.

